Any AABC-certified test and balance engineer (TBE) or technician (TBT) is encouraged to submit an article to be considered for publication in TAB Journal at any time. Every two years, each AABC member company is required to submit at least one article as part of their certification requirements. Authors who submit articles over 500 words are eligible to earn 5 CEU points.

What should I write about?

Articles must be relevant to the testing, adjusting, and balancing industry. Beyond that, it’s up to you. Consider one of these suggested topics and click the links for examples:

• A case study: Did you/your company recently complete an interesting project? Did you solve an unusual problem or encounter an anomaly while testing a system? Use your experiences in the field to explain how you approached a particular job and offer advice to readers who might encounter something similar.
•  A new development in the industry: Is there a technological advancement or equipment improvement that you keep seeing on jobs? A new technique you’ve used on multiple projects? Explore something new in your article to teach the reader about how the TAB industry is improving and adapting.
• Best practices: Are you well-versed in a certain technique or system? Do you see an opportunity for improvement in a particular area of TAB work? Go back to basics or cover best practices for your area of interest.

Whatever topic you choose, be sure to include project details (though not ones that clearly identify the specific project or the names of other companies involved), specific measurements when applicable, lessons learned, and practical advice or applicable takeaways.

How long should it be?

Articles of any length can be considered for publication, but the ideal word count is somewhere between 500 and 1,500 words.

How do I submit my article?

Articles should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx) or a PDF. Your article should include:

• The title of the article
• The name(s) of the author(s)
• The authors’ company name(s)
• The text of the article

Images and figures should be submitted as separate files (see below).

All submissions should be emailed to publications@aabc.com with the subject line “TAB Journal Article Submission” or similar.

Can I have a co-author?

Co-authored papers are acceptable as long as all contributors are credited.

Can I include images?

Images, tables, graphs, and other visual figures are encouraged! These should be submitted as separate files (.jpeg, .png, .tif, and .pdf are all accepted file formats). Images must be high-resolution (300 DPI or higher) to be printed. If the author or company does not own the submitted figures, please indicate the source in your submission. By submitting figures from other sources, you affirm that you have permission to use those figures.

Can I submit an article that was previously published?

If it was previously published in TAB Journal, no. If it was previously published elsewhere, you may submit it as long as you provide express written permission from the original author/publisher.

What should I avoid?

Content that is taken from a previously published source, plagiarized, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI) is not acceptable and should not be submitted. By submitting an article to TAB Journal, you affirm that you are the author of that content. Avoid content that promotes a particular product or service from a specific company. You can write about products and services generally, but your article should not advertise any one company’s product.

Thank you for your interest in submitting to TAB Journal! Please contact publications@aabc.com with any questions.